Hot Money
by AnneLea
Summary: The Jedi order are infiltrating the drug scene as a means to stop the Mandalorians from taking over the galaxy. In the mean time, two of their order are planning a different rout. A "how Revan became the Sith Lord" story, but with sex, drugs, and gore.


Disclaimer: Nothing of Star Wars belongs to me. It's all George Lucas' idea. I'm making no money by playing with his world.

I don't remember if I ever put this up on FF before, but I got into the mood to try it again. It's had a few changes, and some of the ideas are flowing again so... feedback is appreciated, but by no means a requirement.

On to the frakking story!

Hot Money: noun

The term "hot money" is applied to a large selection of cash and credit gained from illegal and barely legal activities.

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Ailysabet Mierkon checked herself over in the mirror, pleased with what she saw. The black silk, a-line dress opened perfectly in the back, not dipping too low, not stopping too high. A green sash tied at her waist matched the emerald jewels she wore hanging from delicate platinum chains. Her hair looked like it was in a Spanish twist the way she wrapped it around the oak chopsticks topped with black cloth and green beads. Leaning in, Ailysabet double checked her dark green and pale blue eye shadow, giving her lashes a touch up with the waterproof mascara. Looking at the array of lipsticks at her fingertips, she chose a blood red one. It, like the black of the dress, would stand in stark contrast to her smooth, ivory skin, inviting every man present to look at her twice before remembering they had wives. Some might not even remember that at all once she slipped her feet into the spiked,six inch heels. She smiled mischievously at the thought.

Today, Ailysabet was leaving her crew and ship behind, shedding her more comfortable clothes, dingy with the sweat and grime that comes with her main trade, for the upper class affairs of art showings. She would mingle with the aristocracy of the galaxy and learn about their troubles at home... plan her next mark for Hot Money while making a bit of White, all the while blending in with the other high class artists looking to make a sale on their over priced junk that did nothing but please the eye in all its uselessness.

She didn't bother to turn around when the sound of a man entering her quarters whispered in the hall. His footsteps were the only ones she was familiar with.

"Sure you don't want someone at your side for the party?" her first mate, Maddon, asked from the doorway.

Ailysabet turned around with a smile, "I finally look like I need protecting?"

"Or a jealous boyfriend," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.

"Good then," she said, turning back to the mirror to double check her lipstick. "I want a good buy tonight. If we're going to afford the fuel to make it to the Outer Rim for our pick up, I'll need to turn a few heads, possibly with more than my art."

His mood fell along with his expression. "You know I don't like it when you get into Muddy Money. Any one of those snobs could be a secondary buyer or have picked up something from a street bitch on the way in to the showing."

"Good thing I know all the signs, then, eh?" she said, raising a brow as she lifted her silvery purse that matched her spiked heels. "Besides, I'll play some cards before resorting to Muddy Money. You know me well enough to know that by now, don't you?"

Maddon looked down at the floor, toeing at an imagined stain. "You are going armed, aren't you?"

Ailysabet lifted the skirt of her dress to reveal a thigh holster on each leg. The right side held a blaster, and the left a set of knives.

"Well, at least I'll have that comfort."

"Oh, stop it," Ailysabet smiled at him, sweetly placing a kiss on the end of his nose. "Take care of the babies for me. Can't trust them too much yet."

"Yes, Captain," Maddon nodded, stepping aside to let her through. He knew full well how to keep a hawk's eye on the crew, having been given so much practice by the finicky captain he served.

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A yellow paint splatter stepped on by a pet dog apparently passed for art these days. "What a pity," was all that could come to Admiral Karath's mind as he looked at the ruined canvas with disgust written all over his face. Closing his eyes, he gulped down the rest of his liquor and turned away for the so-called collaborative. The tinkling music playing overhead put a nasty taste in his bones even more so than the ruined canvas. Honestly, they could do much better than a Telosian lullaby for a party of adults, though the Onassi boy seemed to like it a bit. Then again, Carth's wife was pregnant with their first child. Karath moved on to a metal sculpture seemingly made from pieces commonly found at junk-pile ship yards. This one was far more interesting in the way it caught the light and twisted it around a length of piping, draining it like water into an oil drum below.

"Now this is true art," he said softly to himself.

"More of a challenge, but worth it in the end, Sir," Carth agreed with a nod, holding himself back from touching the work to check the thickness of the welding lines. "You can barely tell where it was pieced together. As close to perfect as if a factory droid had done it for the millionth time."

"It does take practice," a woman's voice interrupted the two men. "I thank you for noticing, and for your interpretation of the piece."

"I take it you are the talented hand that created this masterpiece, then, miss?" Karath asked, offering a hand to Ailysabet.

She took his hand and allowed him to kiss her knuckles like a true gentleman. "Ailysabet."

"Miss Ailysabet," Karath motioned to his subordinate. "This is Captain Carth Onassi. I am Admiral Saul Karath, both of Telos."

"Pleased to meet you, gentlemen," she nodded her head to them.

Carth excused himself momentarily to answer a personal call from his wife at home. He left soon after, leaving it to Karath to explain the situation of the Onassi family.

"You are very bored with this party, aren't you?" Ailysabet asked Karath with a sly smile.

"Until my eyes found your work, that is," Karath flattered her. "The woman behind the work is even more exotic and entertaining, I must add."

"I only meant to ask you to a game of cards, Sir, but I will not stop you your flattery if you insist upon handing it out," Ailysabet laughed, playing the part of a well off woman looking to climb the ranks a bit by becoming associated with a high ranking military man. Other women had done it before, why not her? It's not like she actually planned on sleeping with the man at the end of the night. Military types often slept around if they didn't have a girl before going into service. Karath, she knew from research, was one to sleep around and spend a good deal of Muddy Money every week or so. Ailysabet wouldn't crawl into bed with him if it meant her life, because doing so could mean her life very quickly.

"And what would be your drink of choice, then, miss?"

"Laughter and a streak of good hands only," she said with a practiced sigh. "I am here to make a sale on my works, after all."

"Yes, of course, it was discourteous of me to ask for a drinking match with a lady such as yourself."

Ailysabet allowed herself to be lead to a gambling table and sat in the chair Karath pulled out for her. Others joined them, some were already at the table, one of which was a dealer signed on by the gallery owner. He traded a few credits in for chips and awaited the consensus of the players to know how to deal. Multiple hand Pazzak came up in first place. Those who did not vote for it were invited to stay or leave before hands were dealt and side decks were drawn.

"All still seated, please draw your four hand cards," the dealer called. When he felt they were ready to receive their unseen table card, he called "set" and began to deal.

A few hours later, only Saul and Ailysabet remained at the table, even the paid dealer had left them to it when his break came. The admiral was reaching his limit on drinks by the time the Onassi man returned to escort him back to the hotel they were staying in, depriving Ailysabet her chance to pick the man's pockets. She never was very good at that kind of thing when her victim wasn't drunk or otherwise incapacitated. She couldn't hack a lock with more than a six bit combination, and she most certainly couldn't put one foot in front of another after a couple of drinks, but at least she could play cards. Rarely did Ailysabet resort to cheating at cards, her luck was just that good, and a good poker face was always a bonus gift her father had given her.

Placing her cash winnings into an inner pocket of her purse, Ailysabet turned around on the bar stool to look over at her art. Once more, no offers were made, and her card winnings only brought in enough to cover half the bill for the fuel charges they expected. After her display at the table earlier, there was very little chance of getting even one more hand dealt at any table she occupied. It was during these thoughts that she spotted a man staring at her work in fascination not seen on any other person's face in the room before. Interested in the man and hoping for a last minute sale, Ailysabet stood up and straightened herself out, ignoring her body's protests to the sudden shift as she practically skipped over to the man.

"Good evening," she greeted, offering her hand which he took in a light shake.

He barely glanced at her the whole time he walked in circles around the sculpture. His eyes calculated even though they showed the wonder beneath.

"The showing is nearly over, sir, ma'am," a custodian warned them politely as she passed by.

"Excuse me," the man turned to Ailysabet and the custodian, "but could you tell me whom I might speak to about the making and pricing of this piece?"

Ailysabet raised her hand with a wave as the custodian shook her head and shrugged.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss!" He took her hand again and shook it with all his attention. "I thought you were one of the aristocrats come to endorse the place. You don't look like the sort to actually make the works themselves... I... I mean... you're higher classed than most artists tend... I... well..."

"It's all right," Ailysabet calmed him, seeing the easy mark for what it was now. "You had questions about the piece?"

"Yes!"

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Maddon nearly let out a howl when Ailysabet told him how much money she'd brought in from the party. Rich boys from planets newly integrated into the Republic were the easiest of marks when it came to getting White Money... even a bit of Muddy Money, though Ailysabet was too put off by the guy's stuttering and indecisiveness to try for some Muddy Money out of him along with the White Money. Besides, he had a couple yellow blotches just under his sleeves which peeked out once or twice while he gestured. She didn't recognize it as anything normal of a human from any planet.

"Tonight, ladies and gentlemen," Ailysabet proclaimed as she handed out cuts to the crew, "we party hard and eat well!"

"And I can finally send Sharia money for her baby boy..." Nikalria, a Zabrak woman, smiled happily while she thought of her sister and nephew.

"And I can treat you to that fruity lil' drink you loved so much back home," Zsharn, her red skinned Twi'lek lover said with a grin as he looked up from his money to Nikalria.

"What about you three?" Maddon asked the three brothers-Batos, Nalta, and Kael-who sat around a card table betting petty coins on the game.

"Guess," Nalta spoke over the top of his hand cards.

Ailysabet walked over to the table and leaned in close to Nalta, putting on a smile. "Women who like the money more than the fact you're disgustingly fat?"

"Palos Gambling House down in the Karkos quarter by the river near here," Kael said matter-of-factly, saving Nalta from further embarrassment. "Good tables always there for us. Good women, too, and not the kind you mean."

"Looking for Muddy Money, or paying it out?" Ailysabet demanded.

"Little ah both, prob'ly," Karkos said, thinking of his brother's interests. "If they'll have us."

"Fine. Go nowhere else without telling Maddon or I first _and_ getting our approval, and remember it's not wise to bring anything contagious aboard the Blue Moon. I'll kick your ass off myself if you do. Bring anything potentially deadly onboard besides product, and I'll make sure you die before it kills you... or anybody else onboard my ship."

"What's gotten into you, Lysa?" Maddon touched her arm in caution. "Something happen at the showing we should know about?"

Ailysabet took a deep breath and looked around at her crew. "Saul Karath played cards with me today. He got shit-faced drunk, too, but it may have been an act. Any Republic soldiers-in uniform or otherwise-follow you anywhere on this planet, make sure they don't follow you back to this ship. For those of you not willing to get your hands bloody, I suggest you don't even leave the docks and immediate town tonight. I want a clean get-away. We can party the hardest after we've got our cargo and have unloaded it to the highest bidder in the Mid Rim."

Maddon stepped out of her way as she headed back to her room to change into more comfortable clothing. Nobody spoke, though Zsharn did mouth Karath's name once or twice.

In her room, Ailysabet jerked the chopsticks out, letting her hair fall between her shoulder blades and down her chest. She stuffed them into an open hair products case before slamming it shut and yanking off her jewelry, throwing them into the open drawer, not caring where they fell inside it. Standing at her closet, she made quick work of her sash, tying it onto a loop with many other colors in that kind of fabric. She tossed her shoes in after that and dropped her stockings and dress where she stood.

Closing the closet, she looked back at herself in the full length mirror, clad only in her lacy lingerie, dramatic make-up, and thigh holsters filled with her chosen weapons and lined with a few precious tools of the trade. A lock pick for manual style locks, two-way radio programmed to only send and receive signal to and from Maddon, nail care kit, razor blade, gauze, and small jar of ointment she made herself each time she had all the ingredients needed onboard. Unfortunately that meant breaking into a packet or two of Hercon when other numbing or otherwise pain killing substances were not on hand and she was running low in the medical stores.

Ailysabet wanted the make-up gone three minutes ago. Turning to the vanity, she pulled out a package of wipes made to remove the paints and powders and scrubbed rather harder than needed. Satisfied that she would not be waking up with dark marks around her eyes later on, she threw out the used wipes and pulled off her lingerie, dropping it on top of her dress, but left her thigh holsters in place. She looked around for a pair of skimpy cut shorts, finding a black pair and tossing them on, along with a dark red halter top. The shorts became her underwear for a long black wrap skirt that was full enough to flounce the way she liked, but light enough to easily be tucked in at the waist for easy access to her gun and knives, not to mention running without getting caught up. Having learned early how to run in high heels, she put on a wedged pair of white sandals and grabbed her white purse to match, the purse already packed with more survival gear and weaponry as well as emergency money.

She hoped Maddon didn't follow her tonight as she pulled her hair up into a bun at the base of her neck, hiding the clasp of her top. With the Republic already having two officers that could point her out in a line up, as well as give her most used fabricated name, she didn't need him being caught too should a raid come down on the club she wished to hit up for potential buyers tonight. Normally, Ailysabet would send off each of her crews with a cut of the product instead of only money, gaining her a better reputation among crew workers that dealt in Hot Money alone. This time, however, she had none in the crew that would go for the expected Hercon and Buzz Blank product to use or sell on their own, so she would need a small time dealer to sell the usual surplus to this year. Not many people in the bigger circles of drug running tended to get this close to a Republic Military base, so Ailysabet believed the dealers would pay better than usual money here. It was time to find out.

Packing a couple samples from last year's left overs, Ailysabet left the Blue Moon, making sure that Maddon would be getting out at some point. He promised that when Zsharn and Nikalria returned from getting the ingredients to their drinks, he would lock off the controle centers and take himself out for a while. Satisfied, she left the Blue Moon, all traces of Ailysabet Mierkon erased from her posture and attitude. Now, now she was herself, drug running expert and captain of no failing crews. Highest quality product and delivery time. Narinya Nalamanti.

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Ailysabet leaned up against a wall in the dance club. She had caught the faint scent of spice on a man walking through the streets, his loose clothing calling her attention well. With a predatory smile, she followed him to the darkened club at a safe enough distance. From his movements, she could see he was intoxicated with more than any hard drink...

From her place at the side of a loft seating area, she had a decent view of most of the place. Using her pilot's eyes to their best advantage, she trailed the man through the crowd to a door on the main floor near stage right. The man stopped and had a word with a door guard there before entering in, the guard retaking his place infront of the door. If it wasn't a drop, Ailysabet was about to get herself kicked out. At the worst, she would end up spending a little money to test the potency of their drugs to the ones she ran... as long as what she saw really was a drop. If not, it could be anything, even red money. That was not the kind of thing she was willing to get mixed up in at the moment.

Reassuring herself, she rolled her shoulders back and put on her sexiest smile, letting her hips sway a little as she walked back down the stairs and through the crowd to the door she marked earlier. Each footfall matched time with a beat of the band's drums. She gave the guard a wink and leaned up against the wall beside him. He turned only his head to look at her, examine her top to bottom and up again, obvious interest and suspicion on his face before he turned away again, his hand subtly moving down to rest on a blaster.

"What do you want here?" he asked.

"I'm interested in Hot Money, of course," Ailysabet purred.

"You'll find none of that here, sweetie," he replied automatically.

"Now why don't I believe that?" Ailysabet snaked her hand into his pocket, pulling out a vial of liquid flash blank from his pocket. She suppressed a sigh of relief when she realized that her chance note of the vial turned out as she had suspected. "The man wearing the larger brown jacket you let in must have had some of this on him as well, yes?"

"Give it back, sweetie," he snatched the vial out of her hand and put it back in his pocket, "and turn around. Go back to your drinks and small talk."

"I run the highest grade hercon and am expecting a surplus this season," Ailysabet pursed her lips. "I already pegged one of your delivery men from the docks all the way here. The sith spit he's selling you is nothing compared to the first rate drugs I can provide. I have samples to prove it if I must. Now, let me speak to the right people, and there might just be a free dose of it and two buzz blanks in it for you. Understand?"

The man licked his lips, his fingers tapping the but of his blaster nervously. A quick nod followed, and he spoke into a headset. "I've got a good looking lady that wants to compete. Let the boss know she'll be in the lobby. Red shirt, black skirt. Armed, quick hands, pushy but pretty."

She flashed the man a knowing smile as the door opened from the inside and she was ushered through by the inner guard.

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The atmosphere of dance clubs was what brought Carth and his wife together a little over nine years before he found himself at blaster point in one just a few light years away. The woman staring him down at the other end of his blaster was familiar, but definitely not his wife.

"I said I'm leaving, Mr. Onassi," she said evenly.

"And I don't think you gave me your right name back at the art gallery," he replied.

Her voice had sealed the deal. When he'd come into this part of town and saw the woman in the red and black outfit, he didn't want to believe it was the same well dressed artist he'd met just a couple hours before taking his mentor back to the hotel to sleep off one too many drinks. He didn't want to believe that the well mannered woman with a practiced hand at welding fine works could also be running drugs to a local dance house like this.

But he'd seen her walk into the back room. He'd seen the whole conversation between her and the guard, and the vial of liquid flash blank from the guard's pocket in her hand. Getting closer, Carth even heard the offer of free drugs for getting her through the door that she made.

So, he waited at a table near-by. And he waited. The brown coated man that had gone in before the woman came out again, pockets less full, and smelling worse than anything Carth had been around in a while. And he waited again. A clean shaven type came and went, but still Carth sat and watched the door.

When the woman came back out, he got a good look at her face. He could tell it definitely was the same woman, and he didn't bother keeping his distance. He stayed right behind her, like he belonged there to ward off anybody else that might want to tag along or cop a feel.

She knew he was there, too. He'd seen her glance over her shoulder the once, eye narrowing before turning back and leading them both into a quieter alley way. Where she drew a blaster on him.

"Get out of my way," she commanded. "Get off my back. Go back to your straight-laced life and your wife. I hear your son is due soon."

"Knock it off," Carth retorted. "I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work on me, jedi."

Ailysabet grinned and lowered the blaster. "You still won't shoot me, though."

"Not if I don't have to," he lowered his only a fraction. "Explain something to me and I might decide not to report you. Why are you using two aliases, selling art one minute, and drugs an hour later? What kind of jedi does that?"

"You know the war is headed this way. The Mandalorians are gaining footholds through drugs first."

"Your point?"

"Gain a foothold in the foothold," she explained. "That's all I can say."

"Jedi aren't supposed to be liars."

"You're too trusting of people based on their honorable reputations."

Carth smiled just slightly, "That's what Saul says."

Ailysabet caught the trusting tone even though Carth didn't even know he trusted her yet. "Well, now that we've both decided not to shoot each-other, can we get on our separate ways?"

Carth agreed, re-holstering his weapon. "Why do I feel like this won't be the last time we see each other?"

"Probably because it won't," she answered, putting hers away as well.

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"Now what problems did you bring in?" Maddon grumbled from Ailysabet's bunk the moment she came in.

"I made a couple of friends, idiot," she retorted, throwing a wrap shirt at his face. "Get off my bed."

"Who're your new friends?" he asked, refusing to move from her bunk while playing with a frilly novelty pillow. "Mandalorians?"

"One is. He's partially funding the Mandalorian invasion and has contact with about five others. I want to get in good with him using the surplus."

"Good. Who's the second?"

Ailysabet got tired of waiting for Maddon to move out of her sight, so she just started undressing right infront of him instead. "Admiral Karath's little puppy, Carth Onassi."

"A pet?" he looked at her skeptically.

"A young officer speeding his way through the ranks. Wife. Kid on the way. Looking for guidance to see what to do next. That type."

"Sounds like he's got everything my brother almost had. Too bad it looks like he won't get to be near home enough to enjoy it."

"You sound like you really meant that," Ailysabet smiled at him sweetly. "There's hope for you yet."

Maddon narrowed his eyes, "Says who? I'm not one for love and family. I'd have left the order if that was the case. You talking like that might get you kicked out, too. Even the Sith wouldn't take you."

"So? Isn't the point of the Sith to climb the ranks by killing your superiors? I'd teach them just how far love can take someone."

Maddon sat up straight at that, looking at her with a bit of fear. "What are you suggesting? You want to trade ship or something?"

"Not exactly," she shook her head, putting on a white tank top with her black shorts, other clothing discarded and weapons replaced in the wardrobe. "I'm just saying that the jedi aren't moving fast enough. Worlds are falling while people like you and I sit in dead end, undercover situations that only perpetuate illegal trade. We can do so much more! We should be fighting back with the people of those worlds! They should be allowed to enjoy their love, and those of us who can protect that need to do something now! Not in ten years when the entire galaxy falls to the Mandalorians!"

"So, tell the council," he shrugged, relieved his suspicions weren't entirely accurate. She just wanted to get proactive like the Sith, not adopt their other policies.

"I did," she replied drolly. "That's why they sent you to keep a closer eye on me. They called me rash and dangerous. I would be suspended and confined to the temple if I didn't settle down. Master Zhar specifically said my passion for an aggressive defense was signs of turning to the dark side."

Sitting down beside her friend of twenty years, Ailysabet hung her head in frustration. Frustration with the situation they were in, with the over patient council, with herself.

Rubbing her shoulders, Maddon gave a short term plan of action, "We stick with this at least until we get to Elom, pay out the crew, turn in the goods to local fleet officers, give the Blue Moon back to the real Narinya Nalamanti, get on the next transport to Dantooine, and work at getting a following there. Other jedi will help us if they were to hear what you have to say. We don't have to go through the council alone. We can go to other temples and gather even more jedi to the cause. We can just gather them up and go straight for the front lines and bypass the council all together."

"How long until the crew gets back?" Ailysabet asked, dropping the more frustrating topic of the council and the Mandalorians for the time being.

"I'm guessing hours," Maddon shrugged, then it dawned on him what she really meant. "Oh no, Lysa... Not this time. We got caught last time, and they almost caught us both saying things we shouldn't. If we both get caught this time, they'll never let me near you again."

Ailysabet grunted, "This coming from the man who said we should bypass the council. You just said it would be hours before anybody comes around. None of them know who we really work for. They all know we're close, and they probably suspect we are thinking about doing more than looking. So, who cares if they come in early? It's not like any of them are going to turn us over to the council."

"One of them could be an advanced Master spying on us," he told her, trying to tell himself it would be best to get out of her bed now. After all, she did tell him to leave it the second she walked into the room.

"We're going to go behind their backs in a couple weeks anyway. If they're so distrustful of us, why deliberately put us in the path of Karath? A plant alone would be perfect. We're in the clear. We can relax for a while and let off some steam."

Ailysabet made her move before Maddon could get his head straight. Already her fingers had unbuckled his belt and were working at his pants. Of course, that was also when the ship-wide alert went off. Heads only hung for a split second before they shot out of the room, Ailysabet grabbing a pair of sandals, and Maddon refastening his pants and belt


End file.
